Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 226 - 250 of 538
The year-long lawsuit between plaintiffs the City of Lake Wales and defendants Dixie-Walesbilt LLC of Winter Haven has taken a significant turn. The future potential redevelopment of the 11-story hotel, a Lake Wales landmark, hangs in the balance. A ruling issued by Circuit Judge William Sites on Wednesday denied the defendant's motion for summary judgement on each of the five points. The suit filed by the city and the Community Redevelopment Agency alleges that...
A local charitable organization that provides a number of programs supporting local families and individuals with developmental disabilities is seeking community support to expand their efforts. Circle of Friends, a fixture of the Lake Wales community for over two decades, is planning to sell its current building on Stuart Avenue to expand their program through the purchase of a much larger facility. The organization is working toward the purchase of the former Westside...
A packed house greeted a team of planners, traffic engineers and developers Monday afternoon to hear presentations that may help shape the future of Lake Wales. Experts shared the keys to creating a superior community to begin the process of Lake Wales Envisioned. The months-long effort to deal with an anticipated wave of growth was initiated by the City of Lake Wales with the support of a host of co-sponsors. Interested citizens filled the theatre at Bok Tower Gardens for...
Noted Economist Joe Minicozzi will introduce a variety of economic opportunities that are becoming available to residents, property and business owners, and city governments as a result of an approaching wave of growth in the area. Minicozzi, a partner of the Urban3 planning firm, will share the "Dollars and Sense" of good planning as a part of the ongoing Lake Wales Envisioned planning effort. Minicozzi is well-known for his economic insights into the drivers of property...
In a surprise move, the Lake Wales Planning and Zoning Board voted 4-1 Tuesday evening to reject the "correction of a scrivener's error" that would eliminate a step in future zoning decisions. The decision has immediate impact in the impending decision regarding a proposed plastics manufacturing plant. Dozens of residents filled the chambers as the board, unused to crowds, opened the meeting. Chairman Chris Lutton told the group that the controversial plant was not on the...
It was a very unhappy group of Lake Wales City Commissioners who spent more than 45 minutes discussing their generally dismal evaluations of City Attorney Chuck Galloway Wednesday. At their regular workshop meeting the commission discussed the notes they had turned in as part of an annual performance review. Galloway received a total of eight "unsatisfactory" scores from four commissioners who completed their evaluations. Commissioner Daniel Williams had not yet submitted his,...
A fifty-one acre site has been approved for a potential shopping center construction by the Lake Wales City Commission at their Tuesday night meeting, but there are no immediate plans in place to develop the site. A 9.37 acre parcel that had been outside the city limits was annexed Tuesday on first reading and added to the site, most of which had been annexed earlier. The annexation was requested last year by property owners 360 Lake Wales LLC. The group purchased the two...
March 31, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the final withdrawal of US military forces from Vietnam, ending more than a decade of fighting in support of the government of South Vietnam. At its peak in the late 1960's more than 500,000 Americans were serving in-country, and a million others were working in support of the massive effort. Some 282,000 US and allied forces were killed in the fighting, many soldiers of the Army of Vietnam. An estimate by the Department of Defense...
Crews from Gomez Construction will be barricading a block of West Park Avenue between First Street and Wetmore Street on Monday, March 6 to begin the $11.5 million transformation of that street and, eventually, the adjoining eastern blocks and the adjacent MarketPlace. The project is the first major undertaking of the ambitious $20 million project defined by the Lake Wales Connected plan, which was developed with wide public input. The finished product will feature a brick-pav...
An upbeat assessment of activities during the past year and a positive look toward the future was offered by Lake Wales Mayor Jack Hilligoss at the annual "State of the City" luncheon sponsored by the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce Friday. The event drew some seventy area residents to the Performing Arts Center at The Vanguard School. In a speach running about 25 minutes Hilligoss cited the implementation of a "180" utility city area, which "establishes the footprint" of...
City action may at last be pending against a long-derelict eyesore property that confront thousands of travelers each day passing by on Scenic Highway. The former "Five Points" Shell station at the intersection of Scenic, Fourth Street and Polk Avenue has been abandoned for nearly two decades and has been through a number of ownership changes, including two different tax deed sales in 2015 and 2021. The property has been repeatedly battered by hurricanes, and was damaged in...
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the future livability of Lake Wales begins Monday at Bok Tower Gardens as a high-powered team of planners bring their national reputations. talents, and insights to bear on the city. The project, designated "Lake Wales Envisioned," will consider the future of a large area around the city and include topics ranging from parks, recreation, and conservation to future sites for commercial, residential, and industrial uses. Transportation...
Four city commission candidates facing an April 4 election shared a stage at the Lake Wales Womans Club Auditorium Tuesday evening to compare their positions on a variety of topics raised by audience questions. Few major differences were apparent on subjects ranging from public transportation to electric car chargers. The candidates responded to five questions submitted in advance by the two organizations, followed by others submitted by the audience. Surprisingly, none of the...
An effort to reduce or eliminate fatal crashes at a dangerous intersection east of Lake Wales will see the Florida Department of Transportation closing crossing traffic in favor of U-turns. The intersection includes Boy Scout road, which runs north of SR 60 and serves Lake Kissimmee State Park and the Lakes Rosalie and Kissimmee areas. South of SR 60, Walk-in-the-Water Road serves a growing number of residents, as well as serving as a connector to CR 630. Traffic on the two...
A host of proposed housing developments that could more than double the population of Lake Wales have created worries that the once-quiet community will be overrun by sprawling growth. In response, citizens are being encouraged to join in a process to help prevent bad outcomes. A March 20 afternoon "symposium" at Bok Tower Gardens will be a key part of a months-long project called "Lake Wales Envisioned." "Olmsted's City 10, 25, and 50 years" is a tagline for the process, and...
Lake Wales newest middle school campus is set to benefit from a $6 million construction project, but Lake Wales Charter Schools is working to find the resources to pay for the new school building at BoK Academy North. Filling the $3 million gap in funding to complete the new campus is being approached through a three-tiered fundraising effort that includes giving away a 2023 Cadillac XT4. Dr. T.J. McKeon spoke with the LakeWalesNew.net this week to explain the crucial need,...
A recent private meeting, held out of the reach of Florida's "Sunshine Law," allowed city commissioners and their legal counsel to discuss the ongoing mediation in their lawsuit seeking title to the Walesbilt Hotel. The Florida law permits such meetings only in the case of such matters which would otherwise reveal the city's negotiating position. The long-festering issue of needed restoration of the eleven-story structure, which dominates views of the city, came to a head just...
The Lake Wales City Commission will consider relinquishing authority on major zoning changes to a city planning staff person who will serve as the final decision-maker. That choice may determine who controls decisions related to a proposal for a nearly 100-acre industrial facility on the city's south side. The issue is particularly timely because of the pending rezoning from "light industrial" to "heavy industrial" of the site, which adjoins both Highland Park and Highland Par...
The expected reinstatement of suspended City Commissioner Kris Fitzgerald was raised again by Commissioner Terrye Howell, who questioned the lack of action from Governor Ron DeSantis at the most recent meeting of the commission. DeSantis suspended Fitzgerald in June of 2021 after she was charged with two felonies. Fitzgerald was acquitted by a jury trial in October. Florida statutes call for the governor to end her suspension "forthwith" upon her exoneration of the charges....
Citizens and residents of the Lake Wales area are being invited to take a major role in defining how and where growth will take place in the area as part of a new city effort to map future land uses and plan for future infrastructure needs. "Lake Wales Envisioned" is a year-long process that will offer multiple opportunities for Lake Wales residents to add their voices and opinions to the final product, which is expected to guide future development for 10, 25, and 50 year...
The entire Lake Wales community is invited to come out and share some Highlander Pride to celebrate the Lake Wales High School Highlanders first state football championship. The event will take place Saturday morning, February 25 in Kiwanis Park on North Lakeshore Boulevard, less than a mile east of Legion Field, where the majority of their 15 season victories took place. The Highlander's unprecedented season saw them dominate district rivals, smash their way past regional opp...
The public is being invited to learn and comment on a new trail segment being proposed to continue expanding the bicycle and pedestrian links around Lake Wales. The segment would connect the Lake Wailes Trail with the Rails-to-Trails track. A trail design concept created by city consultant Hale Innovation of Maitland envisions the new trail linking the existing at three points while looping around Kiwanis Park. A Federal Recreational Trails Program grant application to help...
A new business park may eventually rise on newly-annexed land south of Hunt Brothers Road near Loves Travel Stop and the city's soccer complex on large parcels are currently in citrus production. The City Commission Tuesday night approved the annexation of 47.31 acres of land owned by Hunt Brothers, and agreed to the future land use of BPC, allowing the same uses as the nearby Longleaf Business Park. The accompanying zoning will allow for warehouse uses as well as light...
What's in a name? In a confusing prospect for Lake Wales voters, three candidates have filed to run for the District 5 City Commission seat in the April 4 election, and all three share the same last name of Gibson. Incumbent Commissioner and Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson is standing for reelection while facing the prospect of being opposed by Curtis Gibson and Danielle Gibson. Curtis and Danielle Gibson are believed to be husband a wife, a further cause of confusion. Robin Gibson...
It was a relaxed Mark Bennett who shared his thoughts about the many changes both ahead and behind in Lake Wales and Polk County recently. Bennett is stepping down as director of the City of Lake Wales Development Services department after an eventful 30 months in a role he called "challenging, demanding, stressful." During his time at the helm of city planning Bennett has dealt with a wave of annexation requests as owners of declining citrus properties weigh their options...
